When I worked with a piece of fabric that told a story on its own, I just added a few pieces to compliment it.

Christmas in the Manager was another attempt at the thread caligraphy. Where the bear came to life, in this one the donkey and the cow took on a mind of their own. Fortunately, neither Baby Jesus nor Lucy seemed to mind the manger animals looking a bit odd.

Bear Stays Up for Christmas was a fun pocket to make. The sketch on the pocket was a handmade drawing of the bear on the cover of the book. I had just taken a class in thread caligraphy and found the fun of using my satin stitch feature on a 45 degree angle. The open eye is a shiny black button. The pocket is a soft, fluffy cotton flannel to mimic the snowy landscape. When Lucy is looking for her bear book, it appears the bear is waking up just
enough to greet her.

Christmas in July. No - that is just how early you have to start to get 24 book pockets made before Thanksgiving rolls around. Lucy's Christmas books are arrayed on her parents' couch so I could show my sister-in-law, Bobbi, what my version of this very special project looks like.

As I had written earlier on my blog, this project began when my sister, Pat, had her first grandchild. She made 24 pockets, each with its own Christmas story book inside for her grandson, Joseph, to read. One book each night was to be selected to help countdown the 24 days to Christmas.

This was over 14 years ago and it was an idea I knew I was going to borrow for my grandbabies when they arrived. My kids were too young to think of marriage much less children at that time. Seven years past and it was Margaret's turn to become a grandmother and she made her first granddaughter, Klaire, a set. [She has since then made four full sets; one for each of her grandchildren.]

Another seven years came to pass. You would think I would have been buying Christmas books all along to get a goodly supply of all types of Christmas stories. Not. When my daughter and son-in-law announced that my first grandchild would be here in March of 2009, I was sure I was going to make a set. Unlike Pat's and Margaret's that were constructed of felt, mine are made from quilted blocks.

This is how the process goes at this grandma's house. ....

A tisket, a tasket, a pretty little basket....

It starts with an idea. A small fabric token to recognize the hardwork of our guild volunteers at the 32nd annual quilt show. I call them 'thread baskets' and have started the daunting task of creating 200 baskets.

Thread baskets start with a length of clothesline cord, a neverending supply of fabric, a glue stick, a clothespin and, of course, my sewing machine. It helps if the coffee pot is on and the television is playing in the background.

New projects underway --- posting pictures tonight of the baskets I am 'throwing' and the book bags I have in the works. Check back!

Baby Medley's Quilt

Beth and Bill chose a zoo theme for their nursey. The quilt top is finished and ready for the quilting to begin.